Chapter 4

“Alec!”

My husband opened his eyes.

Despite having ingested an entire dose of rat poison, infamous for its lethal potency, he regained consciousness quickly.

“You’re awake! Are you okay?!”

I didn’t realize I was crying or that I had grabbed him by the collar.

Slap!

“Are you out of your mind?”

My mother-in-law suddenly slapped the back of my hand.

“Get your hands off him and move away!”

With unexpected strength from her frail body, she pushed me, and I nearly fell off the chair.

Even my sister-in-law was so dumbfounded by Alec’s extreme act that she could only blink in confusion.

“Alec! Have you come to your senses now? The doctor says you digested the poison as if it were water. I don’t know if that’s possible, but it’s a relief. You almost died! How could you do such a thing, leaving your mother behind…!”

“……”

My husband stared blankly at the ceiling, blinking.

I recalled what he had said last night.

“I will be born again and again”

Did that mean he was planning to die?

I felt both relief that he hadn’t died and a sense of betrayal.

Though, I also understood his mindset of no longer wanting to continue living.

I looked at him worriedly, feeling a mix of emotions I couldn’t fully explain.

He still hadn’t looked at me or the rest of the family, and it seemed as if he couldn’t hear anything.

“Is he fully conscious…?”

Could it be the aftereffects of the poison…

“I’ve been a doctor for decades, but I’ve never seen a constitution like His Grace’s. It’s a miracle…! Are you awake, Your Grace, I mean Alec Myers?”

“……”

He remained silent, even in response to the doctor’s questions.

Swallowing my dry saliva, I called him cautiously again.

“My dear…?”

He murmured as if startled by something he couldn’t quite hear.

“…My dear?”

It was like he was mimicking my words.

His jet-black eyes slowly moved towards me. His wide eyes didn’t blink.

When our eyes met, his eyes widened even more.

“……!”

I held my breath too.

Seeing him like this felt strangely unfamiliar.

It wasn’t just that he had taken poison; the look in his eyes was so innocent.

He looked at me as if he were seeing someone for the first time.

Had he lost his memory?

Trying to shake off this strange illusion, I quickly shouted.

“My dear! Are you conscious? Do you remember drinking rat poison?”

“……”

His gaze remained fixed on me, his eyes still wide.

After what felt like an eternity, his gaze slowly shifted to the others.

My mother-in-law, the doctor, and my sister-in-law Eloise.

Everyone held their breath and tensed up.

His demeanor was so unsettling that we were desperate for him to say something.

Something like, ‘I’m fine, so don’t worry.’

“My dear…”

“Your Grace…”

“Alec…”

Unable to wait any longer, we called out to him.

“Ugh.”

He grimaced in pain, furrowing his smooth and firm brow, and then held his forehead with his hand.

“Alec!”

Startled, my mother-in-law and I both sprang up at the same time.

* * *

“Don’t worry too much, ma’am. His Grace… I mean, Alec Myers will recover soon.”

The doctor quickly corrected himself, mindful of the passersby near the inn.

‘Right, he’s no longer His Grace…’

And I’m no longer the Duchess.

But right now, it was more important that he was safe.

If he had truly left this world, what would I have done…

The thought of his disappearance left me feeling hollow.

Even if he was a husband who couldn’t make up for anything but his looks, he was still a good man…….

After knowing him for three years, I had come to trust him…

“Thank you, Dave. You’ve eased my worries.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll take my leave then…”

“Yes. Take care.”

The doctor took off his hat, bowed slightly, and left the inn.

I watched his retreating figure for a moment before going back inside. I reached out to knock on the door of the room where my husband was.

But I hesitated, unable to bring myself to knock.

What should I do with him?

I felt resentment that he tried to escape this bleak situation alone. At the same time, I was grateful that he woke up and survived.

With a heavy sigh, I finally knocked on the door. There was no response from inside, so I slowly turned the doorknob.

“My dear?”

“……”

Sitting on the bed, he spotted me.

He was drinking water from a large bowl, and the first thing that caught my eye was his unbuttoned shirt.

‘…?’

He was always extremely reluctant to show any part of his body, even when he was alone or sick, he obsessively covered himself.

As these thoughts crossed my mind, I found myself inadvertently scanning his body.

His physique was always overwhelming.

Broad, muscular chest casting deep shadows, and beneath, finely chiseled muscles that appeared like a painting, all covered by his pale skin.

When I looked back at his face,

“……”

He was still staring at me with a look of surprise, frozen in place.

Again, I felt that unfamiliar feeling.

I had never seen such an expression on my husband’s face.

His defined features and intense eyes seemed even sharper, almost as if he were a different person.

There was a confused look in his eyes, along with a slight hint of wariness directed at me.

Shaking off the strange feeling, I took a few steps towards him.

“Are you really okay, Alec?”

“……”

He cautiously lowered the bowl without saying a word.

I carefully examined his face.

Despite having almost died, his face was still extremely enchanting.

As the doctor said, he seemed fine, though he looked a bit paler than usual.

‘How hard it must have been for him to decide to die…’

Instead of reprimanding him, I decided to comfort him.

But why did I feel a surge of emotion contrary to my resolve?

“I almost truly resented you.”

“……”

“I was trying to endure losing the grand mansion and the title of Duchess.”

“……”

“But you tried to end your life. Do you know how I feel right now?”

Seeing his face made me tear up, and I started to question him, my eyes growing moist.

“You said you’d be the perfect husband and love me, but in the three years we’ve been married, you’ve never said that. And you planned to die after saying that?”

“……”

His eyes flickered with turmoil.

Did I push too hard?

He’s already such a sensitive person…

“Anyway, still.”

Feeling suddenly apologetic, I lowered my head slightly and approached him.

I sat beside him and wrapped my arms around his arm. I felt his thick muscles twitch under my touch.

I was usually the one to make the first move between us.

He would always be so embarrassed, but now he looked down at me as if he were frozen, which was a bit strange.

Was he surprised that I was upset about his potential death…?

“Thank you for staying alive. Please don’t think of doing that again. If you do, I’ll be really angry.”

I closed my eyes and lifted my chin, intending to kiss his cheek to comfort his wounded heart.

“…Pfft!”

“……”

Suddenly, I felt cold droplets splashing on my face.

Confused, I slowly opened my eyes.

“Cough, cough!”

A frantic coughing sound followed.

“……”

Apparently, there was still water in his mouth that he hadn’t swallowed yet.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the room after Louise left.

Alec brushed his face with a bewildered gesture.

His wife, as she claimed to be, had told him to rest more and left the room.

His heart pounded heavily, refusing to calm down.

Was it because he almost got kissed by a woman for the first time in his life?

That, and more ridiculously…

‘Where am I?’

He looked around the unfamiliar inn.

Something bizarre had happened to him.

This was not where he had lived.

The interior and clothing are reminiscent of a BBC historical drama, the unfamiliar name Alec, and the unfamiliar family.

Had he somehow traveled to another dimension? How could this happen suddenly?

In his 27 years of life, he had experienced all sorts of trials, but this was a first.

Alec hurriedly looked for a mirror. Luckily, an old mirror was attached to the wall.